Tag: exercise

Categories
Adventure Europe Fall Nature Norway

Hiking in Norway: Preikestolen and Kjeragbolten in two days

If you’re looking for life changing and (slightly) life risking hikes, then hiking to Kjeragbolten and Preikestolen are for you.

Both located in Southern Norway, the closest major city to these hiking locations is Stavanger, Norway. To get there from Oslo, you could drive (7.5 hours), take a train (9 hours) or fly (45 mins). The city itself is beautiful, but that’s not our topic today.

Kjeragbolten: The hike to the boulder

  • Best time to visit: June-September
  • Equipment needed: Good hiking shoes
  • Total climbing time: 7-8 hours
  • Difficulty rating: Strenuous

Make sure you start this hike early so you can make it back down before it gets dark. If you’re using google maps, set your directions to “Kjerag parking”. The drive from Stavanger to the trailhead of the Kjeragbolten hike took a little over 2 hours. That sounds like a long drive but the two hours go by very quickly with the amazing views on the way.

Once you arrive, there’s a big parking lot and you have to pay a small fee for parking. There’s also a small restaurant/shop there that has snacks, jackets, beanies and anything else you might have forgotten to bring – but be warned the shop is a bit overpriced.

The hike took 7 hours total and was very strenuous so you have to be in good shape to do it. We went on this hike in September and there were light rain showers during most of the hike. Don’t care about actually getting on the boulder? you should do this hike anyway because the views are worth it.

Make sure to take plenty of water and snacks as well (only if you want to come back down consciously). Did I mention that the views are phenomenal? That’s one thing that will definitely help you survive this hike, the gorgeous views.

At the top of the mountain, you’ll reach the final milestone: the boulder. On the way up we asked people hiking back down if they went on the boulder, the ratio was about 50% yes to 50% no. When we finally made it to the top, we found out that it was true. There was 4 of us in the group, 2 of us went on the boulder and 2 of us didn’t. But again, we all enjoyed the hike and still highly recommend it.

If you want to go on Kjeragbolten but are afraid here are some things to keep in mind:

  • Go when it’s sunny, rain makes it scarier.
  • Watch YouTube videos of people who have went on the boulder.
  • Keep in mind that no one has ever fallen off the boulder.
  • And finally, don’t go on if you’re scared.

Preikestolen – Hiking Puplit Rock

  • Best time to visit: May-September
  • Equipment needed: Good hiking shoes
  • Total climbing time: 4-5 hours
  • Difficulty rating: Moderate

Make sure you start this hike early so you can make it back down before it gets dark and so you can catch the ferry back to Stavanger. The drive to the Preikestolen trailhead involves a ferry and takes a total of about 1.5 hours. This drive felt much shorter for me than the drive to Kjerag, probably because half of it was spent cruising on the beautiful Norwegian waters.

The hike took about 4 hours and when we reached the top, the views were breathtaking. The fjord looks unreal from above and we spent about 30 minutes up there despite the rainy weather. This hike is much easier than the hike to Kjeragbolten but you still have to be in decent shape to make it without feeling exhausted. The hike up takes 1-2 hours, people generally spend 20 minutes at the top then go back down.

To summarize, Norway has absolutely beautiful nature and is a must visit for anyone who loves the outdoors. The hike to Kjeragbolten is a strenuous hike that takes about 7 hours to complete. The hike to Preikestolen is moderate and takes 4-5 hours to complete, depending on how long you spend at the top. Visit Norway, you won’t regret it.

Categories
Adventure Lifestyle

3 Reasons Why I Love Climbing

Some of the reactions I got when I first really got into climbing are “Why would you do that”, “Isn’t that dangerous” or “How is that even fun”.

Every time I would get one of these reactions from someone, I would invite them to come climb with me. One trip to the climbing gym would change their mind almost immediately. Almost everyone I take is always very impressed at the intensity of the workout and the enjoyment they got out of it.

It’s true that climbing is inherently dangerous, but in my opinion the rewards make it all worth it. I’m going to go over three reasons that make climbing special to me and hopefully convince you to at least try it out.

1) It Teaches Life Lessons

Yes, I said life lessons. Let me explain. When I first started going to my rock climbing gym (Summit Gym), I was hit with the shock of being new at something again. Improving my skills was very difficult and the gains were very, very slow.

But with each time I tried a route, it got slightly easier. And with each attempt I made, the easiest way to climb a route became clearer. It was exactly like solving a puzzle or a complex problem.

I had always heard that the first step in doing something was the hardest, climbing made me believe it.  The first step in doing anything is getting over the mental block that you can’t do it, then you just follow the route to the top.

I also learned to be very persistent and patient from climbing. It sometimes takes me several attempts over the course of a few days to top a route. But after that, the route suddenly becomes easy, as if I’ve always known how to do it.

2) It’s A Great Stress Reliever

When I’m climbing, it’s not possible for me to think about anything other than climbing. I have to stay in the now to be able to perform.

I’m so focused on staying attached to the rock that my mind won’t let me think about anything else. All I can think about is where my foot or hand needs to go next, and how I can get in a position to rest my arms or keep my balance.

Because of this, climbing makes me forget all other thoughts or worries and subsequently makes me feel very present. This, in turn, relieves stress and almost always makes me feel a lot happier when I’m done.

3) It’s An Amazing Workout

After every climbing session, my whole body is in pain. Not the bad pain, the good pain, the pain of “I just accomplished something”.

That’s because to climb properly you have to use your entire body. It takes arm strength, leg strength, core strength, balance, flexibility and decent analytical skills to be able to climb successfully. Climbing gives me the best physical and mental workout I can ever ask for.

To summarize

These aren’t all the reasons why climbing is great or why I love climbing, they’re just the top reasons that I think most people can relate to.

There are so many other ways to get the rewards that I get from climbing, but for me I wouldn’t do it any other way. Give it a try, you might fall down and hate it – or you might fall in love.